Tag Archives: Pastry

I hope the weekend was enjoyable and that you were able to stay snug! My weekend was one filled with lots of bits and pieces. I started on a Roman blind for the kitchen (I thought it was about time I made something for myself!), I looked for a new bathroom and nipped into see a friend. There was also an afternoon tidying the garden whilst coping with a prolonged hail storm. Poor Real Live Rocking Dog decided he did NOT like hail!

However, on Sunday morning it was all about a gentle spot of baking. I cooked another recipe from “Sweet” by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh. The latest sugary concoction was a Chocolate tart with hazelnut, rosemary and orange. Quite unusual for me I didn’t “go off piste” and followed the recipe almost to the T. Saying that I didn’t have enough hazelnuts for the praline/brittle so made up the shortfall with almonds and pistachio’s. I also chose to make the pastry by hand rather than in the processor. I’m sorry but pastry done with light handling cannot be surpassed by a swanky machine!

Pastry made, Rosemary sprigs brushed with egg white and dusted with sugar, cream infused, it was all gently enjoyable. I loved how the praline/brittle was approached in this recipe. Praline can be notoriously difficult and you can land up with a sugar crystal’y nutty heap. This brittle was made by placing the syrups and sugar into a pan, heating until the sugar dissolved and then transferring it into a lined baking tin to bake for 7 minutes.

With all the preparation done for the tart and The Archer’s sadly at an end I headed out into the garden.

With leaves gathered, steps brushed, little wild violets marvelled at, it was time for a bath and the return to my baking.

Whilst the tart was blind baking I melted chocolate, made a sabayon (egg yolks and sugar), chopped my brittle and read my recipe! The crisp tart base was given a layer of chopped nut brittle and awaited its chocolatey cloak. The chocolate, sabayon and strained cream were folded together and spooned into the tart case and baked for 12 minutes or so.

After cooling, the tart was given a generous dusting of cocoa and embellished with shards of brittle and the crystallised rosemary sprigs. I’m sorry about the finished picture, it honestly looked better in real life.

It was DELICIOUS! I LOVE Yotam, but then I think you already know that.

I have decided that Rocking Dog Fashion Week has ended early! I am definitely no Gok, though there were some pretty unbelievable colours in M &S today. Who does look good in muted tangerine one wonders? Other things to report are that some linen has hit TK Maxx (Cribbs, Bristol) together with some great Joules, Crew, Paul Costelloe and Moschino pieces. Good stock of Hunter wellies there too- though expensive they last and last- I wear mine every day for walking Real Live Rocking Dog.

I’m finishing the week with a culinary post to inspire a delicious weekend pastry making session. Click the link for the recipe for Dried Pear Frangipane Tart. It’s simple to make, especially if you cowardly decide to use a shop bought pastry. It can be served warm or cold and it’s delicious served with creme fraiche, ice cream or clotted cream. Although the recipe asks for the pears to be soaked for 24 hours I quite often forget, so I just cook the pears for a little longer in the pan with the Armagnac (I used Schnapps, but use what you have at hand). The dried pears maybe a little difficult to source but Waitrose always stocks them, after all the recipe is one of their recipes! Fresh apricots, raspberries or fresh figs would also work well. Lastly I scattered my Frangipane with some blanched almonds prior to baking. Incidentally, always use metal to bake pastry, using china or glass flan dishes give a less crisp result. Baking beans or coins also help when baking blind because they conduct heat well.

I have been busy sewing for spring, whilst watching the Great British Sewing Bee. LOVE IT! I’m rather hoping my son watched last nights episode so that he can make his Ferguson clan kilt for his wedding! I was sat there feeling rather smug, because I managed to make a pretty spectacular kilt in an hour two years ago. However, it was dog sized… fancy dress for Real Life Rocking Dog. I have got to come up with this years outfit in readiness for the Fox Terrier Rescue fun day. Strange but true!